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ISLAMABAD: During Tuesday’s hearing of the case relating to seven former prisoners accused of terrorism who were now in detention centres in Parachinar, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said intelligence agencies no longer had any excuse to extend the detention of the men, DawnNews reported.

During the hearing, the chief justice said the seven men had been in detention centres since June 26, 2011.

Chief Justice Iftikhar added that the detainees should have been sent to prison(s) if there was any evidence available against them.

He added that the detention was unlawful and could not be approved.

The chief justice said Advocate Raja Mohammad Irshad, representing the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI) had told the bench that evidence could not be found against the detainees.

The bench moreover expressed its displeasure over the failure of secretary Fata and the deputy attorney general to present the detainees' records in court.

A dialogue between the chief justice and Advocate Irshad followed during which the counsel said "no terrorist had no far been convicted by the courts".

The chief justice said intelligence agencies no longer had any excuse to extend the detention of the seven men.

The chief justice moreover said that Attorney General Irfan Qadir should obtain the government's directives over the detention otherwise the court would issue its ruling on the matter.